Mitochondria are known as the powerhouses of the cell. However, recent research shows that they can also play a crucial role in the ageing process and the decline of fertility. Olga Bielska, a researcher at the Buck Institute, focuses on a gene that regulates the division of mitochondria. This gene appears to influence both ageing and fertility.
In mice, the level of a specific mitochondrial protein decreased as they aged. These mice also developed difficulties with reproduction. This link is surprising, because until now the focus has primarily been on damage to the DNA in the cell nucleus as the cause of fertility problems. Bielska’s research opens up a new perspective in which mitochondria play a key role.
The Buck Institute has provided a grant to develop this research further. The aim is to better understand how the loss of this protein affects fertility. Because humans have similar genetic processes in mitochondria, this could also provide important insights for human fertility, especially in older women.
Loss of mitochondrial function does not only occur in the reproductive system, but also in other organs. This potentially contributes to the general ageing process. Through these new insights, scientists hope to develop better treatments in the future that can halt or reverse these mitochondrial changes.
For everyone who wants to age healthily, this research is relevant because it opens up a new pathway to extending fertility and improving the quality of life at a later age.
Source: Buck Institute
